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Location & access
DOC track reference point, not a verified trailhead, entrance or the whole route. Check the official route directions before travel.
Official location informationLocation source
DOC track reference point, not a verified trailhead, entrance or the whole route.
Reference point: -44.25537, 169.90726. WGS84 coordinates retained at the official service's returned precision; decimal resolution is not survey accuracy. Source positional accuracy is not specified.
DOC Maps walking and tramping reference point (WGS84), exact official-page GUID / Department of Conservation. Checked 2026-10-12.
Key facts
- Distance
- 16 km loop
- Walking time
- 6 to 7 hrs loop
- Track grade
- Advanced
- Location
- Ruataniwha Conservation Park
- Dog access
- Dogs on a leash only. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Checked against official sources on 8 October 2026. Rules and conditions are set by Department of Conservation — confirm with them before you go.
Route overview
Pass by fellfields (blocky scree) and short rock bluffs above Gretas Stream. This track is close to Lake Ōhau.
This DOC directory entry covers Greta Track in Canterbury, within Ruataniwha Conservation Park. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.
Distance, time and grade
- Distance: 16 km loop
- Walking time: 6 to 7 hrs loop
- DOC grade: Advanced
Access and alerts
Source checked 2026-10-08. This page is a dated snapshot, not a live track-status report. Check current DOC route information immediately before travelling. An absence of listed alerts does not establish that a route is open.
- Wallaby control operation for Ruataniwha Conservation Park; First published on 11 June 2026. Last reviewed on 24 September 2026.
Dog access
Dogs on a leash only. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
There is a choice between two entry points to this track – either north or south of Gretas Stream.
If you start from the southern car park you will pass an old derelict musterer's hut from the 1890s called Back Hut.
It is then a 5 km climb up the western flank of Ben Ohau/Ruataniwha Peak. You will need to deviate from the track to climb to the true summit at 1522 m.
Pass by fellfields (blocky scree) and short rock bluffs above Gretas Stream. Lower down you need to cross Gretas Stream several times so you may get wet feet.
Note that cattle may be present between Greta and Dorcy Stream.
Mountain biking
It is best to ride this track in a clockwise direction. Start north of Gretas Stream and finish with the downhill descent on the western flank of Ben Ohau/Ruataniwha Peak.
This is a shared-use track. Follow the mountain bikers code: respect others, respect the rules, respect the track.
Getting there
For the Greta Track, Dorcy Track and the eastern end of Lake Ohau Track, take Glen Lyon Road from Twizel.
Know before you go
Map: NZTopo50 BZ14, BZ15
Sources and reuse
Route descriptions and practical information reproduced from the Department of Conservation, Crown copyright, under CC BY 4.0, subject to DOC's copyright policy. Formatting has been adapted, including flattening page sections; follow the original DOC page for maps, section-specific layout, current notices and linked documents. Outdoor Next is independent and is not endorsed by DOC.
The accompanying photograph is published in DOC's official route gallery with an explicit reuse licence. Its original caption and credit are retained; it does not establish current track conditions.
